From Cassettes to Blu-ray: Evolution of Media

In just the last 15 years, the world has seen a lot of changes. Not only has the music industry changed and developed from listening to TLC to Lorde, but the way in which we listen to them has also changed.

Radio has maintained its position as a viable option for music listening in the car. However, if you want to listen to a specific song, the way in which you do so has changed. For instance, in the 70’s everyone listened to music on records until the cassette tape in the 80’s made it a lot easier to travel around with it. Cassette tapes allowed you to listen to the music you wanted to wherever you went because it all fit right in your pocket.

However, the quality didn’t compare to compact discs (CDs) that appeared in the 90’s. These could also be carried around everywhere and even played in cars without the quality of the music deteriorating. These laser discs also allowed for DVDs. The only problem with CDs was that if you liked just one song, you still had to buy the entire album that it was on. This got slightly pricey, and prompted a new way of accessing music.

The MP3 was introduced in 2003 and immediately overwhelmed CD sales. Products like iPods were beginning to be released, making listening to the music you want in high quality more convenient than ever. Today they continue to be the most popular way of listening to music, with the only downside being illegal downloading.